Improvement in potato digger



0; B.CA-NNON. '9 PoTATo' BIGGER.

No. 60,618.; Patented Dec. .18, 1.866.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

B e known that I', CHARLES B. CANNON, of Keokuk, Lee county, State ofIowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potato Digger; andIdo hereby declare that the following is a fu1l,c1ear, and exactdescription thereof, which will' enable others skilled yin the art tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- `Figure 1 is a top or planview of my improved potatodigger.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal `section ot` the same, taken throughthe linea' x, iig. 41.

Figure 3 is a top view of the device for pulling the potato stalks. h

Figure 4 is a vertical section of the same, taken through the line y y,tig. 3

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. e A

My invention has for its object to furnish amachiue by means of whichpotatoes may be dug, separated from the dirt, and sorted, the largerandsmaller ones being deposited inseparate compartments in h wagon or cartbody; and it consists of a potato digger, the various parts of whichareconstructed and arranged as hereil'afte'r more fully-described. l I

A, B, (i, and 1) are the wheels upon which the machine is carried. YTheaxle vE, to which the wheels A and B are attached, is pivoted totheforward end of the frame F by a bolt, asshown in igsl and 2, so thatthe machine may be turned at right angles, when desired. The rear end ofthe frame F rests upon the rear axle Gr, as shown in fig. 2. H is aframe attached tothe axle Gr and to theframe F and extending up at anangle of about thirty-ive or forty degrees. Along theupper side of thisframe slides the elevator box I, which is kept in place by pins passingup through the frame H, and entering grooves formed in the lower edge ofthe box I. The box I is supported by the bands-J and K. One end of theband J is attached to the side of the box, as shown at 1, g. 2; thenceit passes around a pulley, 2, attached to the side of the frame H;thence around'the vpulley 3, attached to the side of the frame H,Ijustabove the frame F; thence it is carried ."orward and passes around thepulley 4, and its other end is attached to the pulley 5. The other band,K, is arranged in precisely the same manner, except that its forward endis attached to the-pulley 6. It will be observed thatthe pulleys 4 and 6are attached immovably to the saine shaft, so that, as the `one isrevolved, the other must revolve with it. The pulley 5 is furnished witha crank-pin, so that the driver, in .his seat L, can operate the saidpulley, and raise or lower the box I at pleasure. To the forward upperedge of the box I is attached a knife or scraper, M, which, as themachine advances, slicesor scrapes oft` the dry stalks and surface dirt,so that the action of the fork may be unobstructed. When the potatostalks are green, the knife M should lbe replaced by the puller N, uponthe projecting aims n n2, on which revolve two conc-shapedhilutedwheels, n n". These wheels draw the stalks from the ground and draw themto each sideof the machine',- leaving theV ground free for the action ofthe fork. To one end oi 'theshaft G is attached a bevel gear-wheel, O,intowhich meshes a bevel gear-wheel, P, attached to one end of the shaftR. This shaft. revolves in bearings attached to the side of tho box I,and to itsotherend is Iattached a pulley S, around which passes a bandT, which also passes around a pulley, n", attached to the Jc0ne-shapedwheel n3, as shown in g. 3. By these means motion is communicated to thecone-shaped wheels n3 n. The prongs U are supported byv a bar passingVacross the lower end of the box I, us seen in-iig. 2, and their rearends are connected with the lower end of the screen V. It will beobserved that the side prongs are considerably wider than 'the others,so as t act as guides to the potatoes as 'they pass back. It will alsobe observed that the rear part of the prongs U are curved so as to forma depression, or cavity, into which the potatoes pass, and from whichthey are taken by the carriers W. The carriers are formed by attachingwooden bars wl to endless belts wz, The bars wl are furnished withprojecting pins, as seen in figs. 1 and 2. These Apins take thepotatoesfrom the depression in the prongs U and carry them up the inclinedscreen V, which allows the dirt to fall through it. From the screen Vthey pass to the descending screen X, down which the larger potatoespass'into the chamber- A, from which they pass into a compartment ofthewagon or cart body prepared for their reception, through the spout Bor C', according as the said wagon or cart is placed at the side or rearof the machine. The smaller potatoes fall through the' screen X upon thescreen D', down which they pass, and go thence to a separate compartmentprepared for their reception in 'the wagon or cart body, through thespout E or F, according as the said cart is placed at the side or rearof the machine. The

MII

lendless beltsw2 of the carriers W may be replacedibylendle-ss chansifdesired, Athelinlks being so` formed as to t upon the cylinders H7 andI', the bars w1 being attached lro the links of said chains.. To 4thespokes of the wheels or rims C and D are attached Wheels J and K',around which .pass bands Lf, which also pass around the pulleys M. v Thepulleys` M 'are rigidly attached to lthe shaft Nto which shaft are alsoattached the pulleys 0'.. P are bands passing around the pulleys O', andthe pulleys R attached to the .projecting ends of' the shaft thatcarries the cylinder I.- The shaft N is supported by a toggle-joint, sothat at whatever elevation the .box I may be, the bands Il and I mayalways be. kept taut, so as to transmit motion from the wheels C D tothe carriers W. Each of the toggle-joints which supports thesh'aft N isformed by two bars S and T. The lower ends of the bars S are connectedwith and supported by Ath'e'axle G, and the ends of the hars T aresupported by the shaft that carries the pulleys R,.a.nd cylinder I', asshown in flgs. 1 and 2.

I claim as new, and .desire lto secure by Letters Patenti An improvedpotato digger, consisting ofthe luted wheels n3 n, the prongs U, thecarrier W, and screens` V, the various parts of which are constructed,arranged, and operated substantially as hereindescribed, and for thepurpose set forth.'

CHARLESv B. CANNON.

Witnesses:

L. B. MALTBY, JOHN A. Brsnor.

